Definition Of Assist In Basketball

Watching a player sink a shot you assisted on is an incredibly rewarding feeling. In basketball, assists are more significant than in other sports, because the stats for assists per game (APG) are tracked and can be used as a category in recording a triple double. This means that the more assists you have, the more valuable you may be as a player. So what is an assist in basketball?

An Assist in Basketball is an event in which a player passes the ball to another player who then scores. In basketball, an assist is awarded only if, in the judgment of the statistician, the last player’s pass contributed directly to a made basket.

Different Types of Assists in Basketball

In basketball, an assist is given to a player who makes a pass to a teammate who then scores. However, the definition of an assist varies depending on the league or match. For example, in some leagues, if a player dribbles before shooting, the pass to that player will not be considered an assist.

For a basic definition of what an assist is, it is crucial to first understand how assists are counted in different leagues. In the National Basketball Association (NBA), the definition is fairly straightforward.

Assists In The NBA

In the NBA, a player is credited with an assist if the player passes the ball directly to the other teammate and the teammate scores. This is what you commonly see in a stat sheet.

There are also 3 additional types of assists in the NBA:

Secondary assist definition

• A secondary assist is when the player scores within two seconds and only one dribble after the pass.

Free throw assist definition

• An assist is a free throw assist when a player passes the ball to another player, who is then fouled and makes a minimum of at least one free throw.

Potential assist definition

• When a pass is made by a player to a teammate and the attempted shot, if made, would be an assist.

The NBA video rulebook is a great resource to understand what is and what isn’t considered an assist. Basketball Data Science also has a good discussion on the different types of assists.

NBA Top Assists Of The Decade

If you want to see some amazing assists. Just sit back and press play and enjoy.

NCAA Assists

• An assist at the NCAA (college) level is credited when the player makes, in the judgment of the statistician, the principal pass contributing directly to a field goal (or an awarded score of two or three.
• The key point here is that discretion is given to the statistician.

Who Gets The Most Assists In A Basketball Game?

Point guards tend to make the most assists because they have the ball in their hands most often but are not necessarily the highest scorers. They tend to set up other players to score and collect the assist stats rather than the points. You will see this playing out in the all-time assist leader boards from the NCAA and NBA below.

All Time Assist Leaders In The NBA

According to ESPN, these are the top 10 assist leaders of all time in the NBA (note 2 of them are still playing):

All Time Assist Leaders In Then NCAA

These are the top 10 all time assist leaders in NCAA history:

Basketball Assist Definition Video

This video is very academic but does a good job of describing what an assist is if you need training for your statistician.

Conclusion

There are many different aspects that go into making a great basketball player. You don’t necessarily need to be the strongest or quickest athlete to rack up great assist statistics. Excellent court vision, anticipation, and solid passing fundamentals are key to becoming an assist machine. We hope this helps you answer what is an assist in basketball the next time someone asks.

Check out our article on what is considered carrying in basketball also.

Troy Wright

I am a lifetime basketball enthusiast and loved playing basketball competitively through high school. I still try and play at least 3 times a week and explore all kinds of equipment and training to keep myself on the court and continually getting better. I am a college basketball fanatic and move onto the NBA when March Madness ends.

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